Abu Dhabi:
The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) called upon all grocery owners to implement the mandatory technical and operational changes before the end of this year.
All retail stores have to implement new changes within the remaining time frame as the deadline for the project expires at the end of December, an ADFCA statement said yesterday.
The authority gave retail store owners an entire year’s time to move into the new system. It also held two widely attended meetings with all the grocery owners or workers in the emirate last year, explaining to them the new rules and regulations in detail and answering their questions and addressing their concerns. The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development on its part had distributed notices to grocery owners asking them to take all necessary steps to implement the changes within the stipulated period.
Mohammad Jalal Al Reyaysa, Director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA, said the new rules were put in place following efforts lasting a whole year which involved an in-depth study of the retail sector by experts of ADFCA and other government bodies. The changes for the retail sector are an important step in achieving the economic vision 2030 of the emirate of Abu Dhabi, he added.
Al Reyaysa said: “We hope the grocery owners who lagged behind till now expedite the implementation of the changes, which will enable them to adhere to the best practices in their businesses. The changes sought from them will positively impact on the services they provide to their customers.”
He pointed out that the time given for implementation was comfortable and sufficient and it was expected of all to complete the process no later than the year-end. “The government has set up a Technical Information Centre (TIC) to facilitate the approvals as per the new standards and regulations. They were also given the freedom to use contractors or engineers of their choice provided they were authorised for the task,” he added.
The new changes announced last year are aimed at bringing about more uniformity in the retail sector and improving the standards of services they offer to consumers.
